A proud Chicago native and CEO of Ulta Beauty since 2013, Mary Dillon has strategically driven the beloved beauty retailer to achieve record breaking sales and profits, recently earning the company a place on The Fortune 500 list. Fortune Magazine also named Dillon No. 5 on its 2017 Business Person of the Year top 20 listing.
Dillon, equally known for her style of leadership, believes strongly in fostering an inclusive culture of listening that drives associate engagement through valuing the perspectives of her diverse associate base of more than 37,000, 92 percent of whom are women. Under her leadership, Ulta Beauty’s Board of Directors has become the most gender diverse of any Fortune 1000 company in Illinois.
Dillon is a health and wellness enthusiast, philanthropist, and parent. In 2016, she championed the establishment of the Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation, which, in addition to Ulta Beauty’s long-standing partnership as one of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s top three corporate supporters, furthers the commitment to enhancing the education and well-being of women and their families. Today, she serves on the board of directors for numerous organizations including Starbucks Corporation, Save the Children, and World Business Chicago. Dillon is the mother of four and lives in Evanston with her husband, Terry.
See our complete list: Chicago’s 25 Most Powerful Women 2019